The two Giants shaking up the infield competition in different ways

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.–Giants’ infielders Miguel Gomez and Chase d’Arnaud arrived at spring training with the same goal: Shake up the competition and win a spot on the club’s 25-man roster.

They’re just using different means in an effort to achieve the same result.

Gomez and d’Arnaud are two of the half dozen players pushing incumbents Kelby Tomlinson and Pablo Sandoval for bench jobs, and they’re doing so with disparate skill sets.

Gomez, 25, is a talented switch-hitter with pop saddled with a below average glove that can only be hidden at second base. D’Arnaud, 31, is a pesky utilityman with a career .223 batting average and the ability to play center field, third base, first base and nearly everywhere in between.

Through the first week of Cactus League games, they’ve proved their potential value to the Giants in entirely different ways. While he hasn’t looked sharp in the field, Gomez is hitting line drive lasers at the plate, launching his first home run of the spring on Tuesday against the Diamondbacks.

"The bat plays, doesn’t it?" Giants’ manager Bruce Bochy said. "You have to love the way (Gomez) finds a way to get the barrel of the bat on the ball consistently. He really does a good job of adjusting and he’s one of those guys that can adjust on the fly too. He can get off balance and still find a way to make good hard contact. He’s a hitter."

While he’s not the same caliber of hitter, d’Arnaud is proving value comes in many forms. He’s 6-for-14 this spring and leads the Giants with three stolen bases. After starting on Thursday, d’Arnaud told reporters “I’m here to be dangerous,” and he’s already proven he’s a threat once he reaches base.

A well-traveled journeyman who collected a combined 57 at-bats with three different teams last season, d’Arnaud explained why he chose to sign a Minor League deal with the Giants this offseason instead of hooking on with a younger team that might offer more opportunities.

"I told my agent this offseason that I wanted to be with a team that values winning," d’Arnaud said. "I know what it’s like to be on a team when they’re rebuilding. I’ve been in that position a couple of times and it’s worked out for me more often than not because there seems to be a revolving door. But you know, I just want to do something special."

The Giants signed d’Arnaud, Alen Hanson, Josh Rutledge and Andres Blanco to compete with Tomlinson, Sandoval, Gomez and Orlando Calixte for bench roles, and at the end of spring, Bochy will have a wide pool of players to pick from whose skills complement those of his starting infielders.

Each player brings different abilities to the club, but Gomez’s bat and d’Arnaud’s positional versatility and extraordinary hustle clearly have the potential to help a Giants team that lacked depth during a 98-loss season.

Two years ago, Gomez hit .371 in 66 games with Low-A Augusta in a league that often favors pitchers. Last season, he made his Major League debut, sticking as a bench presence from mid-July until a knee injury forced him to the disabled list in August.

While Gomez’s future as a starter might be limited due to his defense, it’s increasingly clear he has a chance to help the Giants in a pinch hitting capacity.

"I have it in my mind that I can hit in any situation,” Gomez said. “I feel good (as a pinch hitter) and I try to hit the ball the same when I’m a starter and a pinch hitter."

Back in 2016, when Gomez was preparing for his first season above rookie ball, d’Arnaud arrived at spring training on a different path. He traveled to Braves’ camp in Florida and lived with a music producer, who helped d’Arnaud’s band create and release two tracks during the regular season.

The tracks, which d’Arnaud describes as a blend of country and rock, helped “The Chase d’Arnaud Band,” land a set playing at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Tennessee on a well-timed off day in June.

This spring, the only tracks d’Arnaud is working on are informal collaborations with Giants’ outfielder Austin Jackson, who developed a few beats for him to draft lyrics for. Instead of investing in music, d’Arnaud spent the offseason invested in his baseball career, as he hired hitting and fielding consultants to improve his game.

D’Arnaud said a brief stint with the Boston Red Sox convinced him he wanted to pursue an opportunity with a team fostering a winning culture, and in reality, the Giants probably needed him in their clubhouse when the season went south last summer. The southern California native radiates positive energy, boasting a personality that will play beyond the box score if he earns the chance to contribute within it.

“He’s (d’Arnaud) an artist, he’s a musician and he has fun with life,” Bochy said. “I enjoy talking to him and he’s so positive and just always upbeat. He plays with a lot of energy. He brings that.”